Can Someone School me on Using Kalk?

[RussC]

I have a very tight home, so I max out at 7.8 PH. Ive been exploring ways to raise the PH. I am after a PH about 8.2. I believe it will make a significant difference in my coral growth rate. In my investigation I came across KALKWASSER. Wow, just add it to my ATO and, bam, your done. Your Ca is good and your Alk is good. And the side benefit is it raises your PH. It couldn't be that simple, right? How do you set the CA level? Alk level? PH level? IS all that a done deal with KALK? Seems a little too easy if you ask me. I currently two part dose CA and KH. I'm ready for school! Tell me your thoughts.

 

[kevin_e]

Depends how much and how you dose. How much you dose depends on your coral consumption of calcium and alk.

My suggestion is to begin testing and find out that rate of consumption first. You can do this by testing, and then testing a few days to a week later.

If your coral are tiny frags, odds are you don't need to dose quite yet.

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[ReefWreak]

Your pH generally doesn't matter and isn't a number worth chasing. Having consistent and stable parameters is what matters. That being said, Kalk is an easier method of adding balanced Alkalinity and Calcium to your tank, as well as precipitate out some phosphates to boot.

This article is much better than anything any of us joe schmoes can provide you.

Add tablespoon of kalk powder to a gallon of RO/DI topoff water, stir, let it settle, use the clear part, throw away settled stuff, and you're done. It's very simple and can go a long way towards supplementing calcium and alkalinity. Only once the tank has really exploded in growth will you need to switch to 2 part or a calcium reactor (you can run a fan to force higher evaporation rates to increase supplementation with kalk for a while too!).

 

[RioReefr]

My advice is start out slow -- 1 level teaspoon (~3g) per 1 gallon of RODI water. Mix with with a big spoon/spatula for just 5 minutes. Let it settle for at least a few hours before using in your ATO. Whatever ATO container, make sure there is a lid on it. Do not stir it after it is mixed. You should a film on the top, which is good. After your ATO gets low, there will be precipitate at the bottom. Don't re-use, rinse out the container with regular tap water and start the process fresh.
Also, it is recommended to use rubber glove and some eyewear. The stuff is toxic if you get it in your eyes or open skin.

IMO, I prefer the results of Reef Fusion 2-part. Kalkwasser is fine, but you are not getting any of the trace minerals like Mg, Strontium, etc. like you get by using a good 2-part solution.

 

[Bpb]

You're correct. It isn't THAT easy. It's a simple supplementing method but like you said. You're adding calcium and alkalinity. Be aware at all times that is the primary goal of the supplement. Ph elevation is a side effect.

The best way to elevate PH is to have your skimmer Venturi drawing from outside air. If you cannot do that, then investing in a CO2 scrubber is the next best thing. Neither of those two things will impact your alkalinity


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[lapin]

I have a very tight home, so I max out at 7.8 PH. Ive been exploring ways to raise the PH. I am after a PH about 8.2. I believe it will make a significant difference in my coral growth rate. In my investigation I came across KALKWASSER. Wow, just add it to my ATO and, bam, your done. Your Ca is good and your Alk is good. And the side benefit is it raises your PH. It couldn't be that simple, right? How do you set the CA level? Alk level? PH level? IS all that a done deal with KALK? Seems a little too easy if you ask me. I currently two part dose CA and KH. I'm ready for school! Tell me your thoughts.

So you want to raise your ph. As stated above is is most likely a co2 issue in your house air or water and can be corrected. Not really an issue but if you feel like it is then you should fix it.
Dosing alk and cal to your tank is what you get when you dose kalk. Benefit is added ph. You will get he same results with a cal reactor. Since you are already dosing and like the idea, try it out.

 

[hkgar]

Why do you want your ph at 8.2? What would be the benefit to justify the added cost of adding Kalk, Granted, Kalk is not very expensive.

 

[mattgumaer]

I have a very tight home, so I max out at 7.8 PH. Ive been exploring ways to raise the PH. I am after a PH about 8.2. I believe it will make a significant difference in my coral growth rate. In my investigation I came across KALKWASSER. Wow, just add it to my ATO and, bam, your done. Your Ca is good and your Alk is good. And the side benefit is it raises your PH. It couldn't be that simple, right? How do you set the CA level? Alk level? PH level? IS all that a done deal with KALK? Seems a little too easy if you ask me. I currently two part dose CA and KH. I'm ready for school! Tell me your thoughts.

I'd focus on calc and alk levels rather than ph. Tons of people have had tons of success with adding kalk to their atos. The only real downside is the amount you're dosing depends on how fast water is evaporating. So, as the environment gets cooler/hotter, dryer/more humid, your dose changes, whether you want it to or not. Many people get around this by dripping a kalk solution into their sump separate from their ato. In this way, you can get a consistent dose regardless of evaporation rate. You just need to be sure you're dripping in less volume than evaporates, your ato handles the amount of evaporation that occurs in excess of your drip rate.

Kalk is definitely worth trying and the way I think most people start dosing alk/calc (some people use it forever or prefer it to other things like 2 part). Start slow, monitor alk/calc levels and adjust according. Also, if its in your ato, be extra sure to turn your ato off when changing water. It's one thing to accidentally pump a bunch of ro water into your tank. It's another to accidentally pump a bunch of kalk into your tank. Hang around here for a while and you'll likely see a few 'I accidentally overdosed kalk from my ato, what do I do now?' posts. Good luck.

Matt

 

[Uncle99]

Forget the PH, chasing it will just drive you nuts.
Corals build their skeletons just fine at 7.8, one the window once in a while, turn on exhaust fans, run a line outside, make sure surface agitation of water, add an airstone, do some, do it all.....I have tried......best I can get is 8.0.

Most effective was opening a window followed by bringing outside air into the skimmer.

High PH also comes with its own set of problems....